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Excavations at Nola-Croce del Papa have uncovered extensive evidence of a small village quickly abandoned at the time of the Avellino Eruption in the 17th century BC. This powerful eruption from Mount Vesuvius caused the inhabitants to leave behind a wide range of pottery and other artifacts. The foundations of their buildings are also preserved in imprints among the mud left by the eruption.[citation needed]

Following the rise of Christianity, it became a bishopric. One bishop, the Christian senatorPaulinus, is traditionally credited with the introduction of the use of bells to Christian worship.[4] His small handbells were subsequently known as nolas for his seat and the larger tower bells as campanas from the surrounding area.[4] Revered as a saint, Paulinus's relics turned the town into a site of Christian pilgrimage.

Nola was sacked by Alaric in 410 and by the Vandals under Gaiseric in 453. It was raided by Muslim invaders in 904 and captured by Manfred of Sicily in the 13th century. Under Charles of Anjou, it was held by Guy de Montfort as the County of Nola. It was inherited by his eldest daughter's Orsini husband and then held by members of their family.

The 1460 Battle of Nola is noteworthy for the clever stratagem by which John, duke of Calabria, defeated Ferdinand, king of Naples, who fled the field with only 20 followers. Ferdinand, however, was supported by Pope Pius II, the duke of Milan, and the Albanian lord Skanderbeg. With his wife Isabella successfully wooing John's major supporters away, the king recovered his domain over the next decade. Nola itself subsequently lost its importance after its repeated destruction by earthquakes in the 15th and 16th centuries. The nearby Cicala Castle was the birthplace of Giordano Bruno (b. 1548).

In 1820, General Pepe's revolution began in Nola. The sculptor Giovanni Merliano was a native of the city; and some of his works are preserved in the cathedral.

Today, Nola is an important suburb of Naples but most of its territory and economy are under the control of the Camorra, the Neapolitan Mafia. A major Camorra activity is the illegal—and unsafe—treatment of urban, chemical, and industrial wastes in the countryside located in the region between Nola, Acerra, and Marigliano. This formerly rich and green countryside is sometimes now called the "Triangle of Death". A 2004 study by Alfredo Mazza published in The Lancet Oncology revealed that deaths by cancer in the area are much higher than the European average.[citation needed]

Although Roman ruins—including an amphitheater and temple to Augustus—survived as long as the 16th century, they were then plundered for building material and few signs remain. A few tombs are preserved, and results from excavations are displayed at the Archaeological Museum. Other sites include:

Two fairs are held in Nola: one on 14 June and another on 12 November. The Festival of the Lilies (Festa dei Gigli) is held on 22 June or the Sunday beforehand, honoring St Paulinus. It lasts seven days, til the next Sunday. Eight lilies and a boat are made of wood and covered with papier-mache from the city's art shops. On the last day of the festival, the huge lilies are carried through the town on residents' shoulders along a route that has been followed for more than a thousand years. Each represents one of the local guilds or corporations, coming in the following order:

Greengrocers (Ortolano)

Butchers of pigs (Salumiere)

Innkeepers (Bettoliere)

Bakers (Panettiere)

Boatmakers (Barca)

Butchers of other meats (Beccaio)

Shoemakers (Calzolaio)

Smiths (Fabbro)

Dressmakers (Sarto)

Each of the organizations is responsible for one day of the festivities. The 2010 festival—along with its fellows—was nominated as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.